Lace coupling for reel based closure device

ABSTRACT

A reel for tightening an article includes a housing and a spool positioned within the housing. A knob is coupled with the spool to cause the spool to rotate within the housing and thereby wind a tension member about a central post of the spool. A load holding mechanism is coupled with the spool and the housing and includes a first friction element and a second friction element that are frictionally engageable to prevent rotation of the spool in a second direction to prevent unwinding of the tension member from the spool&#39;s central post. Rotation of the knob in a first direction reduces frictional engagement of the friction elements to enable rotation of the spool in the first direction and tension in the tension member biases the spool toward rotation in the second direction which increases the frictional engagement of the friction elements.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/596,526 filed May 16, 2017, and titled “Failure Compensating LaceTension Devices and Methods,” which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/487,024 filed Sep. 15, 2014, and titled “FailureCompensating Lace Tension Devices and Methods,” which claims priority toU.S. Patent Application No. 61/877,628 filed Sep. 13, 2013, and titled“Failure Compensating Lace Tension Devices and Methods,” and to U.S.Patent Application No. 61/937,372 filed Feb. 7, 2014, and titled“Failure Compensating Lace Tension Devices and Methods,” the entiredisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, for allpurposes, as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments described herein are related to closure devices forvarious articles, such as braces, medical devices, shoes, clothing,apparel, and the like. Such articles typically include closure devicesthat allow the article to be placed and closed about a body part. Theclosure devices are typically used to maintain or secure the article tothe body part. For example, shoes are typically placed over anindividual's foot and lace is tensioned and tied to close the shoe aboutthe foot and secure the shoe to the foot. Conventional closure deviceshave been modified in an effort to increase the fit and/or comfort ofthe article about the body part. For example, shoe lacing configurationsand/or patterns have been modified in an attempt to increase the fitand/or comfort of wearing shoes. Conventional closure devices have alsobeen modified in an effort to decrease the time in which an article maybe closed and secured about the body part. These modifications haveresulted in the use of various pull cords, straps, and tensioningdevices that enable the article to be quickly closed and secured to thefoot.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments described herein provide closure systems and componentstherefor. According to one aspect, a reel for tightening an articleincludes a base member that is coupleable with the article and a housingpositioned atop the base member and removeably coupleable therewith. Thehousing includes an interior region within which a spool is positioned.The spool is rotatable within the housing and includes a central postabout which a tension member is wound. A knob member is coupled with thespool and configured to cause the spool to rotate within the interiorregion of the housing in a first direction to wind the tension memberabout the spool's central post. The reel also includes a load holdingmechanism that is coupled with the spool and the housing. The loadholding mechanism includes a first friction element/component and asecond friction element/component that are frictionally engageable toprevent rotation of the spool in a second direction opposite the firstdirection to prevent unwinding of the tension member from the spool'scentral post. Rotation of the knob member in the first direction reducesthe frictional engagement of the first friction element and the secondfriction element to enable rotation of the spool in the first directionand tension in the tension member biases the spool toward rotation inthe second direction which increases the frictional engagement of thefirst friction element and the second friction element.

In some embodiments, the knob member includes a tapered lumen throughwhich the tension member is inserted to enable a knot to be tied in thetension member, or a coupling element to be coupled with the tensionmember. In such embodiments, the knot or coupling element engages withthe tapered lumen as the tension member is retracted within the lumen toenable attachment of the tension member with the spool withoutdisassembly of reel. In such embodiments, the housing may include alumen through which the tension member is inserted. The lumen of thehousing may align with the lumen of the knob member so that, uponalignment, the lumen of the housing directs the tension member throughthe lumen of the knob member.

In some embodiments, the base member includes a spring member that ispositioned within an annular groove and that releasably engages with abottom end of the housing to removably couple the housing with thearticle. In some embodiments, the reel includes a release mechanism thatis rotatably coupled with the housing and attached to a distal end ofthe second friction element. The release mechanism is rotatable relativeto the housing to enable the spool to be rotated in the second directionand thereby enable unwinding of the tension member from the spool'scentral post. In some embodiments, the release mechanism may berotatable between a lock position and an unlock position, where in thelock position rotation of the spool in the second direction isprevented, and where in the unlock position rotation of the spool in thesecond direction is enabled. In other embodiments, continuous rotationof the release mechanism in the second direction causes a correspondingrotation of the spool in the second direction to unwind the tensionmember from the spool's central post.

In some embodiments, the spool is not fully enclosed by a wall or wallsof the housing so that the spool and/or a portion of the tension memberwound about the spool's post is visible to a user. In such embodiments,the wall or walls of the housing may extend from a bottom portion of thebase member or spool to a top portion of the spool and/or an undersurface of the knob to reinforce the coupling of the spool and/or knobwith the housing and/or base member.

In some embodiments, the first friction element is a hub that iscoaxially aligned with and positioned within a lumen of the spool andthe second friction element is a spring that is wound about the hub andconfigured to constrict about an outer surface of the hub to preventrotation of the spool in the second direction. In other embodiments, thefirst friction element is a pair of hubs with a first one of said hubsfixedly coupled with the housing and a second one of said hubs fixedlycoupled with the knob. In such embodiments, the second one of said hubsis configured to rotate relative to the first one of said hubs whenfrictional engagement of the spring and said pair of hubs is reduced.The second one of said hubs is rotatably locked to the first one of saidhubs when frictional engagement of the spring and said pair of hubs isincreased.

According to another aspect, a reel for tightening an article includes ahousing having an interior region and a base that is attachable to thearticle and a spool positioned within the interior region of the housingand rotatable relative thereto. The spool includes a central post aboutwhich a tension member is wound. A knob member is coupled with the spooland configured to cause the spool to rotate within the interior regionof the housing in a first direction to wind the tension member about thespool's central post. A load holding mechanism is coupled with the spooland the housing. The load holding mechanism includes a first frictionelement and a second friction element that are frictionally engageableto prevent rotation of the spool in a second direction opposite thefirst direction to prevent unwinding of the tension member from thespool's central post. Rotation of the knob member in the first directionreduces the frictional engagement of the first friction element and thesecond friction element to enable rotation of the spool in the firstdirection and tension in the tension member biases the load holdingmechanism toward rotation in the second direction which increases thefrictional engagement of the first friction element and the secondfriction element.

In some embodiments, the reel includes a release mechanism that isrotatably coupled with the housing and attached to a distal end of thesecond friction element. The release mechanism is rotatable relative tothe housing to enable the spool to be rotated in the second directionand thereby enable unwinding of the tension member from the spool'scentral post. In some embodiments, the release mechanism is rotatablebetween a lock position and an unlock position where, in the lockposition, rotation of the spool in the second direction is prevented andwhere, in the unlock position, rotation of the spool in the seconddirection is enabled. In other embodiments, rotation of the releasemechanism in the second direction causes a corresponding rotation of thespool in the second direction to unwind the tension member from thespool's central post.

In some embodiments, the first friction element is a hub that iscoaxially aligned with and positioned within a lumen of the spool andthe second friction element is a spring that is wounds about the hub andconfigured to constrict about an outer surface of the hub to preventrotation of the spool in the second direction. In other embodiments, thefirst friction element is a pair of hubs with a first one of said hubsfixedly coupled with the housing and a second one of said hubs fixedlycoupled with the knob. In such embodiments, the second one of said hubsis configured to rotate relative to the first one of said hubs whenfrictional engagement of the spring and said pair of hubs is reduced andthe second one of said hubs is rotatably locked to the first one of saidhubs when frictional engagement of the spring and said pair of hubs isincreased.

According to another aspect, a method for assembly a shoe with a reelbased mechanism includes providing a reel that includes: a base member,a housing having an interior region, a spool positioned within theinterior region of the housing and rotatable relative thereto, a knobmember that is coupled with the spool, and a load holding mechanism thatis coupled with the spool and the housing. The spool includes a centralpost about which a tension member is wound and the knob member isconfigured to cause the spool to rotate within the interior region ofthe housing in a first direction to wind the tension member about thespool's central post. The load holding mechanism includes a firstfriction element and a second friction element that are frictionallyengageable to prevent rotation of the spool in a second directionopposite the first direction to prevent unwinding of the tension memberfrom the spool's central post. The load holding mechanism is configuredso that rotation of the knob member in the first direction reduces thefrictional engagement of the first friction element and the secondfriction element to enable rotation of the spool in the first directionand tension in the tension member biases the load holding mechanismtoward rotation in the second direction which increases the frictionalengagement of the first friction element and the second frictionelement. The method also includes coupling the base member with thearticle.

In some embodiments, the housing is integrally formed with the basemember. In other embodiments, the housing is removably coupleable withthe base member. In some embodiments, the base member includes a springmember that is positioned within an annular groove and that releasablyengages with a bottom end of the housing to removably couple the housingwith the article.

According to another aspect, a mechanism for releasably attaching acomponent to an article includes a base member that is attachable to anarticle. The base member includes: an inner cavity or aperture, achannel disposed within the inner cavity or aperture, and a springcomponent positioned within the channel. The spring component isconfigured to radially deflect about a bottom end of the component asthe component is inserted within the inner cavity or aperture to lockthe bottom end of the component within the inner cavity or aperture ofthe base member and thereby releasably couple the component with thebase member.

In some embodiments, the channel of the inner cavity or aperture is anannular channel and the spring component radially deflects within theannular channel as the bottom end of the component is inserted withinthe inner cavity or aperture. In such embodiments, the spring componentmay be a split ring having an inner diameter that widens upon radialdeflection. In such embodiments, the widening of the inner diameter maybe constrained by the annular channel and an outer diameter of thebottom end of the component may be greater than a widest inner diameterof the split ring allowed by the annular channel so that insertion ofthe bottom end of the component causes the base member or the bottom endof the component to flex to enable insertion of the bottom end of thecomponent within the base member's inner cavity or aperture.

In some embodiments, the bottom end of the component includes an annularchannel within which the spring component is positioned, or the bottomend of the component includes a plurality of lock tabs about which thespring component flexes, to lock the bottom end of the component withinthe inner cavity or aperture. In some embodiments, the spring componentis a split ring, a horseshoe spring, or a clover spring. In someembodiments, the base member further includes a flange that radiallyextends from all or a portion of an outer periphery of a bottom end ofthe base member. The flange may be coupleable with the article.

According to another aspect, a method for releasably attaching acomponent to an article includes providing a base member that includes:an inner cavity or aperture, a channel disposed within the inner cavityor aperture, and a spring component positioned within the channel. Themethod also includes attaching the base member with the article andinserting a bottom end of the component within the inner cavity oraperture so that the spring component radially deflects about thecomponent's bottom end and thereby locks the bottom end of the componentwithin the inner cavity or aperture of the base member. In someembodiments, attaching the base member with the article includescoupling a flange of the base member with the article.

According to another aspect, a lacing system for tightening an articleincludes a tension member and a plurality of guide members that arepositioned about the article and operably coupled with the tensionmember to guide the tension member along a path about the article. Thelacing system also includes a tightening mechanism that is operablycoupled with the tension member and configured to tension the tensionmember to a first level of tension to effect tightening of the article.The lacing system further includes a stop member that is coupled withthe tension member. The stop member is configured upon breakage of thetension member to engage with at least one of the plurality of guidemembers to maintain a second level of tension in the tension member andthereby maintain a tightness of the article. The second level of tensionis less than the first level of tension and greater than a nominal levelof tension.

In some embodiments, the stop component is configured to couple with thetension member subsequent to coupling of the tension member with thearticle. In some embodiments, the stop component includes a lumenthrough which a portion of the tension member is positioned and achannel around which the portion of the tension member is wound. Thestop component is larger than an opening of the at least one of theplurality of guide members to prevent the stop component from beingpulled through the at least one of the plurality of guide members.

According to another aspect, a method for maintaining tension in atension member upon breakage of the tension member is provided. In themethod, the tension member is used to tighten an article where thearticle includes: a tension member, a plurality of guide memberspositioned about the article and operably coupled with the tensionmember to guide the tension member along a path about the article, and atightening mechanism that is operably coupled with the tension memberand configured to tension the tension member to a first level of tensionto effect tightening of the article. The method includes coupling a stopmember with the tension member. The stop member is configured to engagewith at least one of the plurality of guide members upon breakage of thetension member to maintain a second level of tension in the tensionmember and thereby maintain a tightness of the article. The second levelof tension is less than the first level of tension and greater than anominal level of tension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in conjunction with the appendedfigures:

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a general closure or lacing system that may be usedto tighten a shoe or other apparel or device about a foot or limb.

FIGS. 5A-7B illustrate embodiments in which a lace of a lacing systemmay remain tensioned after failure or breakage of the lace.

FIGS. 8A-F illustrate an embodiment of a reel assembly that may be usedto close and/or tighten an article.

FIGS. 9A-L illustrate another embodiment of a reel assembly that may beused to close and/or tighten an article.

FIGS. 9M-R illustrate another embodiment of a reel assembly that may beused to close and/or tighten an article.

FIGS. 9S-U illustrate alternative embodiments of a spring-hub mechanism.

FIGS. 10A-G illustrate another embodiment of a reel assembly that may beused to close and/or tighten an article.

FIGS. 11A-E illustrate another embodiment of a reel assembly that may beused to close and/or tighten an article.

FIGS. 12A-D illustrate another embodiment of a reel assembly that may beused to close and/or tighten an article.

FIGS. 13A-F illustrate another embodiment of a reel assembly that may beused to close and/or tighten an article.

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate a mechanism for releasably attaching acomponent to an article.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have thesame numerical reference label. Further, various components of the sametype may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letterthat distinguishes among the similar components and/or features. If onlythe first numerical reference label is used in the specification, thedescription is applicable to any one of the similar components and/orfeatures having the same first numerical reference label irrespective ofthe letter suffix.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is notintended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of thedisclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodimentswill provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description forimplementing one or more exemplary embodiments. It being understood thatvarious changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elementswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

Embodiments described herein provide various devices and methods thatmay be used to compensate for a failure in a component of a shoe. Forexample, the shoe's lace may break due to constant fatigue and/orexposure to severe conditions and/or lace stress. For example, in someactivities, such as rock climbing, competitive sports, and the like, theshoe's lace may contact and rub against sharp and/or rough objects. Theobjects may cause the shoe's lace to slightly fray, crack, or otherwisebreak. Repeated exposure to such harsh conditions, and/or a suddenincrease in the lace's tension due to sudden movement of the foot, maycause the lace to fail. Similarly, in military conditions, the shoesworn by soldiers may be subject to extreme and harsh conditions, whichmay greatly decrease the life of the lace and/or cause sudden failure ofthe lace. Similar harsh conditions may be subjected to shoes worn bypolice, firefighters, construction workers, other specialized workmen,and the like.

Failure of the lace may result in the shoe being too loose on the foot.Thus, the shoe may be incapable of providing a proper or desired supportand/or protection. In extreme cases, the shoe may fall off the footentirely or may be so loose that wearing the shoe is detrimental. Forexample, in rock climbing activities, failure of the shoe's lace mayexpose a user's foot to the harsh rock surfaces and/or may slip as theuser attempts to climb a rock. This may result in damage and/or bleedingof the foot, or may render the climbing conditions dangerous. In sportssituations, loss of the shoe may result in the participant being unableto finish or complete a play and/or may cause the participant to fall orstumble. In military applications, loss of the shoe, or loss of theshoe's tightness, may result in the soldier being unable to participatein a military operation or being unable to flee from a dangeroussituation. In extreme cases, loss of the shoe may result in a death ofan individual, such as when a soldier is unable to flee from a dangeroussituation and is captured or hit by enemy fire as a result.

Other embodiments described herein provide shoe components that produceless audible noise during use of the component. For example, asdescribed herein, some shoes are tensioned or tightened using a knob andreel assembly, which may be rotated to tighten and/or loosen a shoe'slace. Conventional reel assemblies often produce an audible noise asthey are rotated by a user, such as a clicking sound from one or moreinternal components. In some situations it may be desirous to tension ortighten a shoe without producing such an audible noise. For example, auser may be in a public place and may not want to draw attention to himor herself as the shoe is being tightened. Similarly, hunters oroutdoorsmen often want to remain as quiet as possible in order to avoidalerting game to their locations. In military situations, a soldier maynot want to producing audible noise to avoid alerting enemies to theirlocation and/or to enable the soldier to sneak up on an enemy withoutbeing detected.

These and other aspects of the embodiments will be realized withreference to the description of the several figures provided below.Before describing specific embodiments, however, FIGS. 1-4 are providedas a general description of a closure or lacing system that may be usedto tighten a shoe or other apparel or device about a foot or limb. Itshould also be realized that while the embodiments are directed mainlyto shoes, the embodiments described herein may be applied to virtuallyany application in which an object needs to be tensioned. For example,the embodiments may be used in various medical applications, on braces,sports equipment, outdoor wear, backpacks, hats, and the like asdesired.

Referring now to FIG. 1, illustrated is a perspective view of anembodiment of lacing system 100 used for tightening a shoe 102. The shoecan be any suitable footwear that can be tightened around a wearer'sfoot. The lacing system 100 can be used to close or tighten variousother articles as described herein, such as, for example, a belt, a hat,a glove, snowboard bindings, a medical brace, or a bag. The lacingsystem can include a reel assembly 104, a lace 106, and one or more laceguides 108. In the illustrated embodiment, the reel assembly 104 can beattached to the tongue 110 of the shoe. Various other configurations arealso possible. For example, the reel assembly 104 can be attached to aside of the shoe 102, which can be advantageous for shoes in which theshoe sides 112 a-b are designed to be drawn closely together whentightened leaving only a small portion of the tongue 110 exposed. Thereel assembly 104 can also be attached to the back of the shoe 102, anda portion of the lace 106 can pass through the shoe 102, sometimes usingtubing for the lace to travel through, on either side of the wearer'sankle such that the lace 106 can be engaged with the reel assembly 104when back-mounted. In some embodiments, the reel assembly 104 may alsobe attached to the lateral side at or near the top of the lacing throat.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of lacing system 200 thatcan be similar to the lacing system 100, or any other lacing systemdescribed herein. The lacing system can include a reel assembly 204which can be similar to the reel assembly 104, or any other reel/knobassembly described herein. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of thereel assembly 204. FIG. 4 is another exploded perspective view of thereel assembly 204.

With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the reel assembly 204 can include a basemember 214, a spool member 216, and a knob member 218. The base membercan include a housing 220 and a mounting flange 222. The spool housing220 can include a plurality of ratchet teeth 224, which can extendradially inwardly. The base member 214 can include lace holes (e.g., 226a) that allow the lace 206 to enter the spool housing 220.

The spool member 216 can be disposed within the spool housing 220 suchthat the spool member 216 is rotatable about an axis 228 with respect tothe spool housing 220. The lace 206 can be secured to the spool member216 such that when the spool member 216 rotates in a tighteningdirection (shown by arrow A) the lace 206 is drawn into the spoolhousing 220 and is wound around the channel 230 formed in the spoolmember 216, and when the spool member 216 rotates in a looseningdirection (shown by arrow B) the lace 206 unwinds from the channel 230of the spool member 216 and exits the spool housing 220 via the laceholes (e.g., 226 a). The spool member 216 can also include spool teeth232 formed thereon. It will be understood that the embodiments disclosedherein can be modified such that rotation in the direction shown byarrow B will tighten the lacing. In this particular embodiment, the knobmember 218 may be raised axially to disengage from spool 230 to allowthe spool to freewheel in direction B in order to release the lace. Inother embodiments, rotation of the knob member 218 in the directionshown by arrow A may loosen the lacing system. In a specific embodiment,the knob member 218 may be rotated be a specific amount (e.g., ¼ to ½turn) in a loosening direction (e.g., as shown by arrow A) to loosen thelacing system. Other user interfaces are possible for tightening,releasing, or adjusting lace tension.

The knob member 218 can be attached to the spool housing 220 such thatthe knob member 218 can rotate about the axis 228 with respect to thespool housing 220. The knob member 218 can include knob teeth 234 thatcan be configured to mate with the spool teeth 232 to couple the knobmember 218 to the spool member 216 such that rotation of the knob member218 in the tightening direction causes the spool member 216 to alsorotate in the tightening direction. In some embodiments, the rotation ofthe knob member 218 in the loosening direction can also cause the spoolmember 216 to rotate in the loosening direction. The knob member 218 canalso include one or more pawls 236 which can be biased radiallyoutwardly so as to mate with the ratchet teeth 224. The pawls 236 andratchet teeth 224 can be configured so that the ratchet teeth 224 candisplace the pawls 236 radially inwardly when the knob member 218 isrotated in the tightening direction, thereby allowing the knob member218 to rotate in the tightening direction. In another embodiment, thepawls 236 and ratchet teeth 224 configuration may be reversed so thatthe pawls 236 bias inwardly. The pawls 236 and the ratchet teeth 224 canalso be configured so that they engage one another when force is appliedto twist the knob member 218 in the loosening direction, therebypreventing the knob member 218 from rotating in the loosening direction.In other arrangements, the ratchet teeth 224 may be oriented axially toengage knob pawl members (not shown) that are correspondingly arrangedto mate axially.

Thus, a reel assembly such as reel assembly 204 can provide a one-waytightening system configured to allow the user to rotate the knob member218 in the tightening direction, which causes the spool member 216 torotate in the tightening direction, which in turn causes the lace 206 tobe drawn into the spool housing 220 via the lace holes (e.g., 226 a). Asthe lace 206 is drawn into the spool housing 220 the lacing system 200can tighten, causing the lace guide 208 to be drawn in the directiontoward the reel assembly 204 (shown by arrow C in FIG. 2). Although thelacing system 200 is shown with a single lace guide 208, any othersuitable number of lace guides can be used. Other features of the reeland lacing system are described in U.S. Patent Application No.2011/0266384, filed Apr. 29, 2011, and Titled “Reel Based LacingSystem”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A-7C, illustrated are embodiments in which alace of a closure or lacing system may remain tensioned after failure orbreakage of the lace. The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5A-7Cillustrate a lacing system that includes a reel assembly and knob deviceas described above. It should be realized, however, that the embodimentsare not limited to such lacing systems and that the embodiments may beused with virtually any conventional lacing system, such as standardshoelace or pull cord system.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrates a lacing system 500 that includes a lace 502that is positioned around a plurality of guides 506 as described above.A stop member 504 is positioned at a distal end of the lace path betweena pair of guides 506. The stop member 504 is coupled with the lace 502and essentially divides the lace 502 in half such that upon breakage orfailure of the lace 502, one half of the lace remains coupled with aguide and tensioned to prevent the shoe from becoming fully loose,and/or to allow the reel assembly of lacing system 500 to besubsequently operated to tension the lace 502. For example, uponbreakage or failure of the lace, as shown at position 508, the stopmember 504 remains coupled with lace 502 and is pulled toward guide 506until the stop member 504 contacts or engages with guide 506. Engagementof the stop member 504 and guide 506 prevents further slippage of thelace 502 so that half of the lacing system's lace 502 remains tensioned.

The tension may decrease to some degree as the stop member 504 movesfrom a roughly centered position between the opposing guides and intoengagement with guide 506, but the overall tension in the shoe issignificantly greater than would otherwise be achieved with a totalfailure of the lace 502. Further, the reel assembly of lacing system 500may be operated to further tension the lace 502 with the stop member 504engaged with guide 506. Thus, even a slight decrease in the lace tensionand tightness of the shoe may be remedied by using the lacing system'sreel assembly to re-tension the lace 502. As shown in FIG. 5A, in someembodiments the stop member 504 may include a clamping component thatmay be positioned over the lace 502 and clamped about the lace. Suchclamping components may be clamped with conventional lace or lacingsystems to provide a failsafe mode. In other embodiments, stop member504 may be a built in component or otherwise pre-fit with the lace 502.In addition to a clamping component, the stop member 504 may be alockable ferrule, threaded lace lock, and the like.

FIG. 5E illustrates another embodiment of a lacing system 510 thatincludes a stop member that is able to maintain lace tension andtightness of a shoe upon failure of a lace. Specifically, FIG. 5Eillustrates a pair of stop members, 513 and 515, that are coupled with afirst lace 512 and a second lace 514 respectively. As describedpreviously, upon failure of the first lace 512, such as at point 516,the first stop member 513 will be pulled into engagement with a guide ofthe lacing system 510 to prevent further slippage of the first lace 512and to maintain some tension or tightness in the shoe. Similarly, uponfailure of the second lace 514, such as at point 517, the second stopmember 515 will be pulled into engagement with a guide of the lacingsystem 510 to prevent further slippage of the second lace 514 and tomaintain some tension or tightness in the shoe. The lacing system 510'sreel assembly may then be operated to further tension the first and/orsecond lace, 512 and 514, respectively.

The embodiment of FIG. 5E provides redundancy in failure proofing thelacing system 510. Stated differently, in order to achieve a total orcatastrophic failure of the lacing system's lace, the lacing system'slace must fail approximately 4 times. For example, upon a failure of thefirst lace 512 (i.e., point 516), one half of the first lace 512 remainstensioned while the entire second lace 514 remains tensioned or viceversa. Similarly, upon a failure of the second lace 514 (i.e., point517), one half of the first lace 512 remains tensioned and one half ofthe second lace 514 remains tensioned. Upon an additional failure of oneof the laces (e.g., failure of the second lace 514 at point 518), onehalf of the lacing system's lace (e.g., lace 512 as illustrated) wouldremain tensioned until that lace also experienced failure or breakage.The redundancy of the lacing system 510 allows a shoe to be subjected toextreme and harsh conditions for an extended period of time beforeexperiencing a total or catastrophic failure.

FIGS. 5C and 5D illustrate a stop component 520 that may be coupled withthe tension member or lace so that upon breakage of the tension member,the stop component engages with a guide member (e.g., guide 506 and thelike) to maintain tension in the lace. As described herein, the lacetension may decrease slightly to a second level of tension that is lessthan an initial tension or first level of tension, however, the reducedtension or second tension level will be greater than a nominal level oftension, such as no lace tension. The reduced or second level of tensionwill be sufficient to ensure that an article maintains a sufficientlevel of tightness. For example, the tension will be sufficient toensure that a shoe or footwear stays on the user's foot and the user isable to use the shoe or footwear. As described herein, the lace may besubsequently re-tensioned after breakage to increase the lace tension tonear or greater than the first tension level.

The stop component 520 includes a main body 522 having a lumen 526 thatextends through the main body. The lumen 526 enables the stop component520 to couple with a lace after or subsequent to the lace being coupledwith an article. For example, a shoe lace may be positioned about a shoeand then a portion of the shoe lace coupled with the stop component 520.The lace may be coupled with the stop component by forming a loop in thelace and inserting the loop through the lumen 526 of the stop component520. The loop of lace may then be positioned within a channel 524 formedbetween and upper and lower portion of the stop component body 522. Theloop may be positioned one or more times within the channel 524 tocouple the lace with the stop component 520. As described herein, thestop component 520 is dimensioned larger than the openings of anadjacent guide to prevent the stop component 520 from being pulledthrough the guide.

According to one embodiment, a method for maintaining tension in a laceor tension member upon breakage of the lace includes coupling a stopmember with the lace in an article that includes the lace, a pluralityof guide members positioned about the article and operably coupled withthe tension member to guide the tension member along a path about thearticle, and a tightening mechanism that is operably coupled with thetension member and configured to tension the tension member to a firstlevel of tension to effect tightening of the article. The stop member isconfigured to engage with at least one of the plurality of guide membersupon breakage of the tension member to maintain a second level oftension in the tension member and thereby maintain a tightness of thearticle. The second level of tension is less than the first level oftension and greater than a nominal level of tension.

FIG. 5G illustrates another embodiment of a lacing system 520 that iscapable of remaining tensioned upon failure or breakage of the lacingsystem's lace. Lacing system 520 includes a first lace 522 that iscoupled with a reel assembly at a proximal end and that is terminated orfixedly coupled with a guide 526 at a distal end. Lacing system 520 alsoincludes a second lace 523 that is coupled with the reel assembly at aproximal end and that is terminated or fixedly coupled with a guide 524and a distal end. Upon failure of one of the laces, such as the breakage528 of the first lace 522, the other lace (e.g., lace 523) remainscoupled with the reel assembly and fixedly coupled with the respectiveguide (e.g., guide 524). In this manner approximately ½ of the lacingsystem's lace remains tensioned about the shoe and tensionable via thereel assembly. The distal end of the first and/or second lace, 522 and523, may be terminated or fixedly coupled with the respective guides byusing guides that are specifically designed to terminate or fixedlycouple with lace. In other embodiments, a knot may be tied in the lace,or the system may employ barrel clasps, threading clasps, clamshell snapclasps, cam locks, screen locks, and/or any other mechanical or otherfasteners known in the art.

FIG. 6A illustrates another embodiment of a lacing system 600 in whichfailure proofing redundancy is built into the lacing system 600. Forexample, lacing system 600 includes a first lace 602 and a second lace604, which both couple with a reel assembly and which wind around aplurality of lace guides along a lace path. A stop member 606 is coupledwith both the first lace 602 and the second lace 604 at a distal end ofthe lace path and between two lace guides. The use of stop member 606and two laces, 602 and 604, allows the lacing system to withstand atleast one lace failure, and commonly two lace failures, before the stopmember 606 will be pulled into contact with one of the lace guides.

For example, if the first lace 602 experiences a first failure orbreakage, the stop member 606 will remain in position relative to theshoe and the fit or tightness of the shoe will remain relativelyunchanged due to the use of the second lace 604, which is wound aroundthe same lace path as the first lace 602. One half of the first lace 602will also remain under tension due to the use of stop member 606. If thefirst lace 602 experiences a second failure or breakage in the portionof the first lace 602 that remains tensioned, the second lace 604 willagain cause the stop member 606 to remain in position relative to theshoe and substantially maintain the fit or tightness of the shoe. Insuch a scenario, the stop member 606 will only be pulled into contactwith a lace guide upon a failure of the second lace 604. The portion ofthe second lace 604 that remains under tension could then be furthertensioned via the reel assembly as desired. An additional failure of thesecond lace 604 would result in a total or catastrophic failure of thelacing system 600's lace.

In another scenario, the first lace 602 and the second lace 604 may eachfail at least one time before the stop member 606 is pulled into contactwith the lace guide. For example, if the first lace 602 fails on a firstside 603 of the stop member 606 and the second lace 604 fails on asecond side 605 of the stop member 606 that is opposite the first side603, the stop member 606 will remain in position relative to the shoeand the fit or tightness of the shoe will remain substantiallyunaffected because the stop member 606 remains coupled with the secondlace 604 on the first side 603 and with the first lace 602 on the secondside 605. An additional failure of either lace, 602 and 604, wouldresult in the stop member 606 being pulled into contact with the laceguide as described above.

In a scenario where the first lace 602 and the second lace 604 both failon the same side of stop member 606 (e.g., side 603 or 605), the stopmember 606 would be pulled into contact with lace guide.

Lacing system 600 may be preferred in some instances, such as whenmaintaining a fit or tightness of the shoe is critical upon a failure ofthe lace. Lacing system 600 may also be preferred because the lace pathis preserved and may be used to tighten the shoe upon failure of one ofthe laces of lacing system 600. Stated differently, in lacing system600, a failure of the lace does not result in only half of the lacebeing usable to tension or tighten a shoe.

FIG. 6B illustrates a lacing system 610 that is similar to lacing system600 in that lacing system 610 includes a first lace 612 and a secondlace 614. Lacing system 610 is slightly different in that a first stopmember 618 is coupled with the first lace 612 and a second stop member616 is coupled with the second lace 614. Upon failure of either thefirst lace 612 or second lace 614, the other lace maintains the fit ortightness of the shoe as described above. In a scenario where the firstlace 612 and the second lace 614 both fail, the first stop guide 618 andsecond stop guide 616 will be pulled against one of the lace guides asshown. In instances where the first lace 612 and second lace 614 fail onopposite sides of the lace path, the first stop member 618 and secondstop member 616 will be pulled into engagement with opposite lace guidessuch that the lace path of lacing system 610 remains relativelyunchanged and the reel assembly may be used to tension the first andsecond lace, 612 and 614, and tighten the shoe. Similar to some of theother embodiments described herein, lacing system 610 requires at least4 lace failures before the lacing system 610 experiences a total orcatastrophic failure.

FIG. 6C illustrates an embodiment of a lacing system 620 that includes afirst lace 622 and a second lace 624 that are coupled with a loadbalancing component 630. As shown, the first lace 622 is wound around afirst pulley 634 of component 630 while the second lace 624 is woundaround a second pulley 632 of component 630. A stop member, 635 and 633,is coupled with the first lace 622 and second lace 624 respectively.Upon failure of one of the laces, the stop member pivots around thepulley and into engagement with a stop pin, which arrests or preventsfurther slippage of the lace. For example, FIG. 6C illustrates a failureof the second lace 624 and the second stop member 633 pulled intoengagement with stop pin 637. The stop member 633 is pulled intoengagement with the stop pin 637 by positioning the lace between thepulley 632 and the stop pin 637. The load-balancing component 630 isable to shift or move laterally between opposing lace guides in order tobalance a tension in the first lace 622 and the second lace 624 and onopposing sides of the lace path. In some embodiments, component 630 maybe slidably coupled with a stop 636 in order to allow the component 630to balance the lace tension load. Upon a second failure of one of thelaces, component 630 may be forced into engagement with the stop 636and/or one of the lace guides to prevent further slippage of theremaining lace. As with some of the previous embodiments, lacing system620 requires 4 lace failures before a total or catastrophic failure isexperienced.

FIG. 6D illustrates an embodiment of a lace tension balancing component640. The lace tension balancing component 640 includes a main body 642having a first lower channel 644 within which a first lace 654 ispositioned and a second upper channel 648 within which a second lace 652is positioned. The first channel 644 includes a pair of lower lace ports646 and the upper lace channel 648 similarly includes a pair of upperlace ports 650. The lower and upper lace ports, 646 and 650, are sizedsmaller than a stop component, such as stop component 520, so that uponbreakage of the lace, the stop component or lace engages with the upperand/or lower lace ports, 646 and 650, and is not able to be pulledthrough the upper and/or lower lace ports, 646 and 650. The lace tensionbalancing component 640 may shift about the article or shoe to balancethe lace tension in the first and second laces 652 and 654.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate embodiments in which an additional lace pathmay be created upon failure or breakage of the lace. For example, FIG.7A illustrates a lacing system 700 that includes lace 702 and a stopmember 706 as previously described. The lace 702 may be initially woundaround a plurality of guides to create a first lace path 705 a. Forexample, FIG. 7A illustrates the lace 702 wrapped around six guides inthe first lace path 705 a configuration. At least some of the guides,and in some instances all of the guides, are preferably “open back”guides, or in other words, guides having an open channel within whichthe lace 702 may be positioned. The use of open back guides may bepreferred because such guides allow the lace 702 to be easily removed oruncoupled from the guide since the guide does not include a rear wallthat encloses the lace 702 within the guide.

Lacing system 700 also includes a coupling component 708 that ispositioned adjacent the reel assembly. Upon breakage 704 of the lace702, the lace 702 may be rerouted and rewound around the lace guides andcoupled with coupling component 708 to create a second lace path 705 b.The coupling component 708 may include a channel that is sized to allowthe lace 702 to be inserted within the channel while preventing the stopmember 706 from being pulled through the channel.

Although the second lace path 705 b is smaller than the first lace path705 a, the creation of the second lace path 705 b may be preferred tothe previous embodiments since the second lace path 705 b crisscrossesand distribute a load relatively equally on opposite sides of the shoe'stongue. The previous embodiments in which only one half of the lace isused to tension the shoe may result in slightly uneven tensioning orloading of one side of the shoe.

FIG. 7B illustrates another embodiment in which an alternate lace pathmay be created. The lacing system 710 of FIG. 7B includes a first lace712 and a second lace 714 that have an initial or first lace pathconfiguration 717 a. A first stop member 718 is coupled with the firstlace 712 and a second stop member 716 is coupled with the second lace714. Lacing system 710 includes a first coupling component 713 that maybe similar to the coupling component 708 of FIG. 7A. Lacing system 710also includes a second coupling component 715, which may be a componentor feature of one or more of the lacing guides. For example, the secondcoupling component 715 may be a protrusion or boss of a lace guide.

Upon failure or breakage of the first lace 712, the first lace 712 maybe positioned between the second coupling component 715 (e.g., aprotrusion/boss of the lace guide) and a channel of the lace guide suchthat tensioning of the first lace 712 causes the first stop member 718to engage with the second coupling component 715 and the lace guide andthereby prevent further movement or slippage of the first lace 712.Similarly, upon breakage or failure of the second lace 714, the secondlace 714 may be rerouted or rewound around one or more lace guides andcoupled with the first coupling component 713 to prevent furthermovement or slippage of the second lace 714. In this manner, alternatelace paths 717 b may be created upon failure or breakage of one of thelaces. In some embodiments, either or both the first coupling component713 or the second coupling component 715 may be positioned above thereel assembly, as in FIG. 7A.

As described previously, in some instances it may be beneficial toprovide a reel assembly that is relatively quiet in operation. Such reelassemblies may allow for the lacing system's lace to be tensionedwithout essentially producing audible noise that is detectable by ahuman, or while minimizing the amount of audible noise that is produced.The description of nondetectable/undetectable audible noise as usedherein refers to any noise level below those outlined in MIL-STD-1474D,Req. 2, pgs. 20-32, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein. This document provides design criteria standardsissued by the U.S. Department of Defense. The embodiments describedhereinbelow are devices that are capable of meeting and exceeding thenoise level standards provided in the above incorporated document.

It may also be desirable for the reel assembly to be designed to havesafeguards against opening. For example, the reel assembly may involve arelatively complex operation to be opened and/or involve the use of twohands. Such a design may prevent the reel assembly from opening on itsown or by accident. For example, when a user is rock climbing and needsa shoe to remain tensioned about the foot, the safeguards describedherein may prevent the reel assembly from opening upon brushing againstor hitting a rock or other object. In another embodiment, the safeguardsmay prevent the reel assembly from opening as a soldier is fleeing adangerous situation, which opening of the reel assembly and loosening ofthe footwear may otherwise jeopardize the soldier's life.

Referring now to FIGS. 8A-F, illustrated is an embodiment of a reelassembly 800 that is relatively quiet in operation and that providessafeguards against accidental opening. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, reelassembly 800 includes a lower knob 810 and an upper knob 802. Upper knob802 may be grasped by a user to tension lace (not shown) and therebytighten a shoe. Reel assembly 800 includes a housing 840 that houses orcontains the components of reel assembly 800. Lower knob 810 isconfigured so that its outer surface is positioned over and around theouter surface of housing 840.

Positioned within housing 840 is a spool 850 around which the lace iswound as the upper knob 802 is rotated by a user. Spool 850 includes acentral boss 852 that is key or configured to be inserted within anaperture of boss 816 of upper knob 802. The keyed boss 852 allows thespool 850 to rotate as the upper knob 802 is rotated by a user so as towind the lace around the spool 850. A friction component 830 is alsopositioned within housing 840. Friction component 830 includes aplurality of cantilevered arms 832 that engage and interact with aninner surface 844 of rotation control component 846. The cantileveredarms 832 slide along the inner surface 844 of the rotation controlcomponent 846 as the upper knob 802 is rotated in the tighteningdirection (e.g., clockwise). Friction component 830 includes a pluralityof apertures 834 that couple with a plurality of pawls or pawl arms 820.Specifically, axially downward extending protrusions or bosses 826 ofthe pawls 820 are inserted within the apertures 834 of frictioncomponent 830.

The pawls 820 are positioned between the friction component 830 and abottom surface of the lower knob 810. Each pawl 820 includes acantilevered arm having a plurality of pawl teeth 822 positioned at adistal end thereof. The pawl teeth 822 lockingly engage with a set ofteeth 842 of the rotation control component 846 to prevent counterrotation of the spool 850 and thereby prevent loosening of the lacingsystem's lace. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, reel assembly 800 includes aplurality of separate and distinct pawls 820, although in otherembodiments each pawl 820 may be coupled at a proximal end with acentral ring so that the pawls are all attached or coupled together.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the bottom surface of the upper knob 802 includes aplurality of sweeper arms 814 that are used to disengage the pawl teeth822 from the set of teeth 842 of rotation control component 846. Asdescribed in more detail below, disengagement of the pawl teeth 822 fromthe set of teeth 842 allows the reel assembly 800 to be operated withoutproducing an audible noise that is detectable by a human. As also shownin FIG. 8B, the bottom surface of the lower knob 810 includes aplurality of ramped or cam surfaces 804 that interface with cantileveredarms 841 of the housing 840 to position the reel assembly in an “open”configuration, in which the lace may be easily and fully loosened.Rotation of the lower knob 810 in a loosening direction (e.g.,counterclockwise) causes the cantilevered arms 841 of the housing toslide along the cam surfaces 804, which pushes the cantilevered armsradially outward and out of engagement with circumferentially positionedstop components 845 of the rotation control component 846. Thecantilevered arms 841 of housing 840 and the stop components 845 ofrotation control component 846 engage to hold or lock the reel assemblyin position and prevent rotation of the spool 850 in the looseningdirection. Disengagement of these components allows the rotation controlcomponent 846 and spool 850 to freely rotate within the housing 840 tounwind the lace from the spool.

The housing 840 is fixedly coupled with a base member 860 via engagementof spline teeth, 843 and 862. Engagement of the spline teeth, 843 and862, prevent rotation of the housing 840 with respect to the base member860. Engagement of the spline teeth, 843 and 862, further preventsrotation of the rotation control component 846 and spool 850 when thecantilevered arms 841 are engaged with the stop components 845. Afastening component 866 is coupled with a central boss 864 to couple thereel assembly 800 together.

FIGS. 8C-F illustrate an operation of reel assembly 800. As shown inFIG. 8C, in a locked configuration, the pawl teeth 822 are engaged andlocked with the set of teeth 842 of rotation control component 846. Theengagement of the pawl teeth 822 with the set of teeth 842 preventscounter rotation of the spool 850 by preventing the upper knob 802 frombeing counter rotated. Counter rotation of the upper knob 802 isprevented by engagement of a distal end of the sweeper arms 814 and aproximal end of each pawl 822 as shown. As shown, the distal end of thesweeper arms 814 may correspond with the proximal end of the pawl 822 tofacilitate engagement of the two components. The keyed configuration ofthe boss 852 and aperture of boss 816 prevent counter rotation of thespool 850.

As further shown in FIG. 8C, the distal end or surface of the sweeperarms 814 may be angled so that as the sweeper arms 814 engages with thefront surface of the pawl teeth 822 (e.g., via counter rotation of theupper knob 802 and/or lace tension), the pawl teeth 822 are forced intoengagement with the set of teeth 842 of rotation control component 846.At relatively high lace tension levels, counter rotation of the upperknob 802 may automatically occur as lace tension causes the spool 850 tocounter rotate and a rotational force is transferred to the knob 810 viathe keyed boss 852 and boss 816 aperture. At relatively low lace tensionlevels, counter rotation of the upper knob 802 may occur via the user.

As shown in FIG. 8D, rotation of the upper knob 802 in a tighteningdirection (e.g., clockwise) causes the sweeper arms 814 to rotaterelative to the pawl teeth 822. At some point the sweeper arms 814 willengage with the pawl teeth 822 and pivot the pawl teeth 822 out ofengagement with the set of teeth 842 of rotation control component 846.Because the pawls 822 are separate components or pieces, as the pawlteeth 822 are pivoted out of engagement with the set of teeth 842 viathe sweeper arms 814, each pawl 820 may pivot slightly so that theproximal surface or end of the pawl teeth 822 pivots into contact withthe distal end or surface of the sweeper arms 814. Subsequent rotationin the opposite direction, via user interaction or lace tension, causesthe distal end of the sweeper arms 814 to reengage the pawl teeth 822with the teeth 842 of rotation control component 846. Because the pawlteeth 822 are disengaged from the set of teeth 842 during rotation ofthe spool 850, an audible clicking noise is not produced by the pawlteeth 822 skipping over or otherwise contacting the set of teeth 842.

FIGS. 8E and 8F illustrate the lower knob 810 being used to position thereel assembly in an open or unlocked configuration in which the spool850 is able to rotate freely in the second or loosening direction andthereby loosen lace tension by unwinding the lace from about the spool850. Specifically, FIG. 8E illustrates the cantilevered arm of 841 ofhousing 840 engaged with the stop component 845 of rotation controlcomponent 846. In this configuration, the spool 850 is locked relativeto the housing 840 and base member 860 and prevented from rotating inthe second direction. FIG. 8F illustrates the lower knob 810 beingrotated in the second direction via grip members 805 to engage anaxially upward extending member at a distal end of the cantilevered arms841 with the cam surfaces 804 of lower knob 810. As the cam surfaces 804rotate relative to the housing 840, the cantilevered arms 841 are pushedradially outward and disengaged from the stop component 845 of rotationcontrol component 846, which allows the rotation control component 846,spool 850, pawls 822, friction component 830, and upper knob 802 tofreely rotate relative to housing 840 and base member 860.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A-9L, illustrated is another embodiment of areel assembly 900 that is relatively quiet in operation and that providesafeguards against accidental opening. FIGS. 9A-C illustrate assembledconfigurations of reel assembly 900 while FIGS. 9C and 9D illustrateexploded views of the reel assembly 900. FIGS. 9F-L illustrate variouscross-section and detailed views of the reel assembly 900. As shown inFIGS. 9A-E, reel assembly 900 includes a knob 902 having a grip surface904 that may be grasped and rotated by a user to tension and loosen lace(not shown). A loading holding mechanism 908 is positioned within and/orcoaxially aligned with an aperture 905 of knob 902. In the illustratedembodiment, the load holding mechanism 908 is a spline drive having afirst friction element 907 including a first hub 907 a and a second hub907 b. The first and second hubs, 907 a and 907 b, each include splineteeth, 906 a and 906 b, that engage with corresponding spline teeth ofthe knob (i.e., spline teeth 905) and a housing (i.e., spline teeth932). Each hub, 907 a and 907 b, includes a protrusion that extendsaxially from the respective spline teeth, 906 a and 906 b. The centralprotrusion of each hub, 907 a and 907 b, extends toward the center ofthe reel assembly 900 with the opposing ends of the hubs, 907 a and 907b, often contacting one another.

A spool component 910 is positioned axially below the knob 902 andcoupled therewith via a clutch mechanism. In some embodiments the clutchmechanism may include axially oriented teeth 916 of the spool 910 thatengage with corresponding axially oriented teeth 901 of knob 902.Engagement of the axially oriented teeth, 916 and 901, transfer torqueor rotational forces from the knob 902 to the spool 910 to enable a userto rotate the knob 902 and thereby wind a lace (not shown) around anannular channel or central post 918 of the spool 910. In someembodiments, the clutch mechanism between the knob 902 and spool 910(e.g., teeth 916 and 901) may be disengaged to allow the spool 910 tofreely rotate relative to the knob 902 and/or within the reel assembly'shousing 950 and thereby unwind the lace from about the spool's centralpost or annular channel 918. Disengagement of the clutch mechanism maybe achieved by pulling axially upward on the knob 902, bycounter-rotating the knob 902 (i.e., rotating the knob in a looseningdirection), or by operating or pressing a button component, levermechanism, or other release mechanism.

Reel assembly 900 also includes a housing 950 that is positioned axiallybelow the other components of the reel assembly 900. Housing 950includes a base member or flange 930 (hereinafter flange 930) that ispositioned at a bottom end of the housing 950 and extends entirelyaround an outer periphery of the housing 950, or around a portionthereof. The flange 930 allows the housing 950 to be coupled with anarticle, such as a shoe, via sewing, adhesive bonding, mechanicalfastening, heat welding, RF or sonic welding, and the like. The housing950 includes an interior region or portion within which the spool 910and/or other components of the reel assembly 900 are positioned. Thespool 910 is positioned within the housing's interior region so as to beable to rotate therein.

As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, in some embodiments the walls of thehousing 950 do not fully enclose the spool 910 so that a portion of thespool 910 and/or a portion of the lace (not shown) that is wound aboutthe spool is visible to a user. For example, the housing 950 may includea pair of walls that are positioned on opposing sides of the spool 910.In such embodiments, the housing walls may extend from the flange 930 toadjacent a undersurface of the knob 902. In this manner the housingwalls 950 may interlock the housing 950 to the spool 910 and knob 902and thereby support the spool 910 and knob 902 and prevent or limitaccidental uncoupling or disassembly of the components due to sideimpact or other forces. For example, if the knob 902 and/or spool 910 ishit or contacted, the housing walls 950 reinforce the components andprevent uncoupling or breakage of the components.

The bottom surface of the housing 950 further include spline teeth 932that engage with the spline teeth 906 b of the second hub 907 b aspreviously described. Engagement of the spline teeth 932 of housing 950and the spline teeth 906 b of the second hub 907 b anchors the secondhub 907 b to the housing 950 and any article coupled therewith, andprevents rotation of the second hub 907 b relative to the housing 950.Because the second hub 907 b is anchored to the housing 950 and anyarticle coupled therewith, the second hub 907 b functions as the loadholding component of the load holding mechanism 908. In otherembodiments, such as the single hub design of FIG. 9S or the outer hubdesign of FIGS. 9T and 9U, the load holding component could be somethingother than an inner hub, such as a tang of the spring component or aninner cylindrical wall.

The housing 950 further includes an axially extending inner wall 960that functions to maintain a spring component 980 in place to allowrelease of the spring component 980 as described in greater detailbelow. The inner wall 960 includes a notch 914 within which an uppertang 981 of the spring component is positioned. The housing 950additionally includes an annular ring 935 that extends axially upwardfrom an upper surface of the flange 930. The annular ring 935 ispositioned within an annular channel 927 of a release mechanism 920 toprevent dust and other debris from accessing an inner portion of thereel assembly 900 and thereby degrading or fouling the inner componentsof the reel assembly. The annular ring 935 includes detent notches, 937and 936, that engage with a detent 926 of the release mechanism 920 toposition the load holding mechanism in an engaged and disengaged stateas described in greater detail below.

The release mechanism 920 is positioned axially above the housing 950and coaxially aligned therewith. The release mechanism 920 is coupledwith the housing by positioning the annular channel 927 over the annularring 935 of the housing 950. When the release mechanism 920 is coupledwith the housing 950, the inner wall 960 is positioned radially within acentral aperture of the release mechanism 920. The release mechanism 920is coupled with the housing 950 so as to be rotatable between a first orengaged position and a second or disengaged position as described ingreater detail below. A tang engagement feature 928, such as a pair ofradially extending protrusions, is positioned on an inner cylindricalwall of the release mechanism 920. The tang engagement feature 928 isdesigned to engage a bottom tang 982 of the spring component 980 and torotate the bottom tang 982 between the engaged and disengaged positions.

To enable rotation of the release component 920 between the engaged anddisengaged positions, the release component 920 includes a pair of griptabs 924 that may be gripped by a thumb and forefinger of the user torotate the release mechanism 920 between the engaged and disengagedpositions. The release mechanism 920 also includes a clutch mechanism922 that interfaces with a clutch mechanism 912 of the spool 910. Asshown in FIGS. 9D and 9E, in some embodiments the clutch mechanismincludes axially oriented teeth 922 positioned on an upper surface ofthe release mechanism 920 that engage with corresponding axiallyoriented teeth 912 positioned on a bottom surface of the spool 910. Theclutch mechanism of the spool 910 and release mechanism 920 prevent“backwinding” of the lace, which is winding of the lace about thespool's annular channel or central post 918 in an opposite direction ofthat intended. To prevent backwinding, the clutch mechanisms of thespool 910 and release mechanism 920 may engage only when a tension inthe lace decreases or falls below a predetermined or nomical level(e.g., zero lace tension). The spool's teeth 912 may be positionedaxially above and disengaged from the release mechanism's teeth 922 whenthe lace tension is above the predetermined level (e.g., near zero lacetension) to allow the spool 910 to spin freely relative to the releasemechanism 920. When the lace tension falls or decreases below thepredetermined lace tension, the spool 910 may move axially downwardrelative to the release mechanism 920 so that the spool's teeth 912engage with the release mechanism's teeth 922 and thereby preventrotation of the spool 910 relative to the release mechanism 920 andhousing 950. Axially movement of the spool 910 relative to the releasemechanism 920 may be achieved via engagement of the spool's upper teeth916 and the knob's teeth 901. For example, low lace tension level mayallow the spool's upper teeth 916 and the knob's teeth 901 to disengage,which allows the spool 910 to move axially downward to engage the clutchmechanism of the spool 910 and release mechanism 920. Rotation of theknob 902 to tension the lace and/or a lace tension above thepredetermined level may cause the spool 910 to move axially upward todisengage the clutch mechanism of the spool 910 and release mechanism920. Additional details of clutch mechanisms that may be used to preventbackwinding are provided in U.S. application Ser. No. 14/328,521, filedJul. 10, 2014, and titled “Closure Devices Including Incremental ReleaseMechanisms and Methods Therefor”, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein.

Reel assembly 900 additionally includes a second friction element orspring component 980 that is coaxially aligned with the housing 950,release mechanism 920, spool 910, knob 902, and load holding mechanism908 (e.g., first and second hubs, 907 a and 907 b). The spring component980 is positioned centrally within the reel assembly 900 and is aroundthe first and second hubs, 907 a and 907 b. A lower tang 982 of thespring component 980 is positioned within the tang engagement feature928 of release mechanism 920 while an upper tang 981 of the springcomponent 980 is positioned within the notch 914 of inner wall 960.

As described in greater detail herein below, the spring component 980 isconfigured to constrict or open about the first and second hubs, 907 aand 907 b, to allow the knob 902 and spool 910 to rotate in a firstdirection to wind the lace about the spool 910 and to prevent the spool910 and/or knob 902 from rotating in a second direction that allows thelace to be unwound from the spool 910. Specifically, when the knob 902is rotated in the first or tightening direction (e.g., clockwise), thefirst hub 907 a is rotated in a direction that causes a diameter of thespring component 980 to slightly expand, thereby reducing the frictionalengagement of the spring component 980 with the first friction element(i.e., the first and/or second hubs, 907 a and 907 b). The reducedfrictional engagement of the spring component 980 and first hub 907 aenables the knob 902, first hub 907 a, and spool 910 to rotate in thefirst or tightening direction. Rotation of the spool 910 in the first ortightening direction causes the lace to wind around the spool's centralpost or annular channel 918, which tensions the lace and tightens anarticle, such as a shoe about a user's foot. The reduced frictionalengagement of the spring component 980 and first hub 907 a unlocks orrotationally decouples the first hub 907 a from the second hub 907 b,which allows the first hub 907 a to rotate relative to the second hub907 b.

When the knob 902 is released, the tension in the lace biases the spool902 toward rotation in the second or loosening direction (e.g.,counterclockwise). Stated differently, because the lace is wound aboutthe spool's central post or annular channel 918, the lace tensioninduces a torque or moment the effects rotation of the spool 910 in thesecond or loosening direction. This torque or moment increases thefrictional engagement of the spring component 980 and first and/orsecond hubs, 907 a and 907 b, by causing the spring component 980 toconstrict about the first and/or second hubs, 907 a and 907 b, whichprevents rotation of the spool 910, first hub 907 a, and/or knob 902 inthe second or loosening direction. The increased frictional engagementof the spring component 980 and first hub 907 a also locks orrotationally couples the first hub 907 a and the second hub 907 b, whichprevents the first hub 907 a from rotating relative to the second hub907 b. In this manner, the engagement of the spring component 980 andfirst and second hubs, 907 a and 907 b, enables a one way rotation ofthe spool 910 that allows the lace to be tensioned and an article to betightened.

Although FIGS. 9A-E illustrate the first hub 907 a attached to the knob902 via a spline drive, it should be realized that in other embodimentsthe first hub 907 a may be directly attached to or coupled with thespool 910. In such embodiments, the knob 902 may be rotated in thesecond or loosening direction without effecting rotation of the spool910 in said direction.

Referring now to FIG. 9F, illustrates is a top view and cross sectionview of the assembled reel assembly. As shown, the spring component 980is positioned or wraped around the first and second hubs, 907 a and 907b, and positioned centrally within the assembled reel assembly 900.Frictional contact or engagement between the spring component 980 andthe first and second hubs, 907 a and 907 b, lock the hubs and reelassembly components in position. The release mechanism 920 is coupledwith the housing 950 with the annular channel 927 positioned over theannular ring 935. The annular channel 927 and annular ring 935 limit thedust or other debris that may access the interior region of the reelassembly 900, which may degrade or foul the spring component 980, firstand second hubs, 907 a and 907 b, and/or other reel assembly components.FIGS. 9H and 91 illustrate a detailed view of the load holding mechanism908 with the spring component 980 wrapped around and engaged with thefirst hub 907 a and second hub 907 b.

Referring now to FIGS. 9G and 9L, illustrated is an operation of usingthe release mechanism 920 to position the reel assembly in alocked/engaged state wherein rotation of the spool 910 in the second orloosening direction is prevented as described above, or to position thereel assembly in an unlocked/disengaged state wherein rotation of thespool 910 in the second or loosening direction is enabled. Positioningof the reel assembly 900 in the unlocked/disengaged state allows thelace to be unwound from the spool's central post or annular channel toloosen the lace's tension and thereby loosen the article.

As shown in FIG. 9G, rotation of the grip tabs 924 in the seconddirection (e.g., counterclockwise) relative to the housing 950 causesthe diameter of the spring component 980 to increase from D to D+X,which reduces the frictional engagement of the spring component 980 andthe first and second hubs, 907 a and 907 b, as described above. Thediameter of the spring component 980 is increased as the lower springtang 982 is rotated in the loosening direction via tang engagementfeature 928 while the upper spring tang 981 is held or maintained inposition via notch 914 of inner wall 960. The reduced frictionalengagement of these components allows the spool 910 to rotate in thesecond or loosening direction, which allows the lace to unwind from thespool's central post or annular channel.

As shown in FIG. 9L, rotation of the grip tab 924 and release mechanism920 in the second direction causes the detent 926 to move out ofengagement with one of the detent notches 937 to into engagement withthe other detent notch 936. Detent notch 937 holds or maintains therelease mechanism 920 and spring component 980 in the locked/engagedstate wherein the spring component 980 is constricted about the firstand second hubs, 907 a and 907 b, (i.e., spring component has a diameterD) and rotation of the spool 910 in the second or loosening direction isprevented. Detent notch 936 holds or maintains the release mechanism 920and spring component 980 in the unlocked/disengaged state whereinfrictional engagement of the spring component 980 and first and secondhubs, 907 a and 907 b, is reduced (i.e., spring component has a diameterD+X) and rotation of the spool 910 in the second or loosening directionis allowed. With the release mechanism 920 and spring component 980 inthe unlocked/disengaged state, the spool 910 is able to freely rotatewithin the housing's interior region to unwind the lace from about thespool's central post or annular channel 918.

FIGS. 9J and 9K illustrate a lace or tension member being coupled withthe reel assembly, and specifically, the reel assembly's knob 902 andspool 910. As shown in the cross section view of FIG. 9J, the knob'slumen 903 includes a first lumen 903 b that extends axially upward and asecond tapered lumen 903 a that diagonally downward and through the knob902. As shown in FIG. 9K, a lumen 952 of the housing may be aligned withthe knob's lumen 903, and specifically the first lumen 903 b. Whenaligned, the housing's lumen 952 directs the lace 990 upward and throughthe first lumen 903 b. The lumen may then be pulled axially upward andabove a top surface of the knob 902 an inserted through the secondtapered lumen 903 a. A knot 991 may then be tied onto an end of the lace990 and the lace retracted through the second tapered lumen 903 a.Retraction of the lace 990 through the second tapered lumen 903 a maycause the knot 991 to engage with the tapered portion of the secondtapered lumen 903 a, thereby preventing full retraction of the lace 990through the lumen 903 a. The engagement of the knot 991 and the secondtapered lumen 903 a results in coupling of the lace 990 and the knob 902and spool 910. As shown in FIG. 9K, the above lace attachment processoccurs without disassembly of the reel assembly's components. Rather,the only step that may be required other than insertion of the lace 990and tying of the knot 991 is alignment of the housing's lumen 952 withthe knob's lumen 903.

Referring now to FIGS. 9M-R, illustrated is another embodiment of a reelassembly mechanism 900 b. Reel assembly 900 b is similar to the reelassembly 900 previously described except that reel assembly 900 b allowsfor an incremental release or loosening or lace tension and except thatthe housing 950 a fully or mostly encloses the spool 910 and/or othercomponents. The incremental release or loosening of the lace tension isachieved via release mechanism 970, which replaces the release mechanism920 of the previous embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 9M, 9N, and 9Q, therelease mechanism 970 includes a cylindrical boss 974 that is positionedaround the spring component 980 and first and second hub, 907 a and 907b, within the reel assembly. A bottom surface of the release mechanism970 includes a tang aperture 976 within which the lower tang 982 ofspring component 980 is positioned. Rotation of the knob 902 in thefirst or tightening direction reduces the frictional engagement of thespring component 980 and first hub 907 a and/or second hub 907 b aspreviously described to enable the spool 910 to rotate in the firstdirection and tension the lace.

The release mechanism 970 includes a rotatable surface or ring 972 thatmay be gripped by a user to rotate the release mechanism 970 in thesecond or loosening direction. Rotation of the release mechanism 970 inthe second direction causes the lower portion of the spring component980 to rotate in the second direction via engagement of the lower tang982 and the tang aperture 976, which reduces the frictional engagementof the spring component 980 and the second hub 907 b and/or first hub907 a by increasing the diameter of the spring component 980 aspreviously described. The reduced frictional engagement of the springcomponent 980 and second hub 907 b unlocks or rotationally decouples thefirst hub 907 a from the second hub 907 b, which allows the first hub907 a and spool 910 to rotate, via lace tension, relative to the secondhub 907 b. When rotation of the release mechanism 970 is ceased,frictional engagement of the spring component 980 and second hub 907 bis immediately increased, which locks or rotationally couples the firsthub 907 a and the second hub 907 b and prevents further rotation of thefirst hub 907 a and spool 910 in the second or loosening direction. Inthis manner the tension of the lace may be incrementally loosened orreleased by infinitely small amounts. In some embodiments, the lacetension may be fully loosened or released by providing a full releasemechanism that disengages the clutch mechanism between the spool 910 andknob 902, between the spool 910 and housing 950, or between othercomponents of the reel assembly 900 b. Disengagement of the clutchmechanism may be achieved via axially upward movement of the knob 902,rotation of the knob 902 in the second direction, operation of a buttoncomponent or lever mechanism, radial movement of a release mechanism,and the like.

Referring now to FIG. 9S, illustrated is an embodiment of a springcomponent 980 frictionally engaged with a single hub 995. The single hubconfiguration of FIG. 9S may be used in place of the first and secondhubs, 907 a and 907 b, described above. In such embodiments, the lowertang 982 would be fixedly coupled with the reel assembly, such as theflange 930 or housing 950/950 a. In such embodiments, the lower tang 982would function as the primary load holding component of the spring-hubor load holding mechanism. Operation of the spring-hub mechanism wouldfunction in a manner similar to that described above. FIGS. 9T and 9Uillustrate an embodiment in which the spring component 980 is positionedwithin an inner wall of a cylindrical outer hub 996. The embodiment ofFIGS. 9T and 9U may likewise be used to replace the first and second hubdesign described above. The spring component 980 flexes radially outwardand into engagement with the inner cylindrical wall 996 to preventrotation of an inner component 997 and an attached spool 997. As shownin FIG. 9U, rotation of the inner component 997 in the tighteningdirection causes the spring component 980 to constrict out of engagementwith the inner cylindrical wall 996, which enables rotation of the innercomponent 997 and an attached spool (not shown). Rotation of the innercomponent 997 in a second and opposite direction, or ceasing rotation ofthe inner component 997 in the first direction, causes the springcomponent 980 to frictionally reengage with the inner wall of thecylindrical hub 996.

Although the reel assemblies, 900 and 900 b, of FIGS. 9A-R illustratethe housing 950/950 a attached or integrated with the base member orflange 930, it should be realized that in other embodiments the housing950/950 a may be removably coupled with a separate base member thatincludes the flange. For example, the base member or bayonet and releasemechanism shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B can be used to removably couple thehousing 950/950 a with the flange 930.

According to an embodiment, a method for assembly a shoe with a reelbased mechanism includes providing a reel that includes: a base member,a housing having an interior region, a spool positioned within theinterior region of the housing, a knob member, and a load holdingmechanism. As described herein above, the spool includes a central postabout which a tension member is wound, and the spool is rotatablerelative to the housing and/or base member. The knob member is coupledwith the spool and configured to cause the spool to rotate within theinterior region of the housing in a first direction to wind the tensionmember about the spool's central post. The load holding mechanism iscoupled with the spool and the housing and includes a first frictionelement and a second friction element that are frictionally engageableto prevent rotation of the spool in a second direction opposite thefirst direction to prevent unwinding of the tension member from thespool's central post. Rotation of the knob member in the first directionreduces the frictional engagement of the first friction element and thesecond friction element to enable rotation of the spool in the firstdirection and tension in the tension member or lace biases the loadholding mechanism toward rotation in the second direction, whichincreases the frictional engagement of the first friction component andthe second friction component. The method also includes coupling thebase member with the article.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A-10G, illustrated is another embodiment of areel assembly 1000 that is relatively quiet in operation and thatprovide safeguards against accidental opening. To provide quietoperation of reel assembly 1000, a plurality of lock components 1010 arepositioned between a knob 1002 and upper housing 1030. Each of the lockcomponents 1010 includes a main body 1012 and a protrusion 1016 that ispositioned within an aperture 1022 of a coupling component 1020. Theprotrusions 1016 allow the lock components 1010 to pivot between camwalls 1024 of coupling component 1020. The main body 1012 of each lockcomponent 1010 includes a pair of cam surfaces 1013 and a pair of radiussurfaces 1015 that are positioned on opposite sides of the main body1012.

Each of the lock components 1010 also includes a protrusion 1014 thatextends axially upward from the main body 1012. A spring component 1004is positioned between the lock components 1010 and knob 1002. The springcomponent 1004 includes a plurality of cantilevered arms that are eachpositioned over the protrusion 1014 of the lock components 1010 so thatthe protrusions 1014 are positioned between the cantilevered arms and acentral ring portion of spring component 1004. The cantilevered arms ofspring component 1004 bias the lock components 1010 inward toward alocked position described hereinbelow.

The upper housing 1030 includes an inner surface 1033 and a plurality ofinwardly extending walls 1036. The coupling component 1020 is positionedwithin a central recess of upper housing 1030 so that each main body1012 is positioned on roughly the same plane as the inwardly extendingwalls 1036. A central boss 1042 of a base component 1040 extends axiallyupward through an aperture of upper housing 1030 and coupling component1020 so that the central boss 1042 is centrally positioned between theplurality of lock components 1010. Upper housing 1030 may also include aplurality of flanged members 1034 that extend axially outward from abody of upper housing 1030. As shown in FIG. 10B, knob 1002 includes aplurality of wedged or cam members 1008 that extend axially downwardfrom a bottom surface of knob 1002. As described in greater detailbelow, the wedge members 1008 contact the lock components 1010 to causethe lock components 1010 to pivot between a locked and unlockedposition. Knob 1002 also includes a plurality of hanging bosses 1006that extend axially downward from a bottom surface of knob 1002. Thehanging bosses 1006 are configured to be inserted through correspondingslots 1038 in upper housing 1030. Positioned axially below the upperhousing 1030 is the spool 1032 around which lace is wound by operationof reel assembly 1000.

FIG. 10C illustrates the components of reel assembly 1000 in anassembled configuration and with a top portion of the knob 1002 removed.As shown in FIG. 10C, in the assembled configuration each main body 1012is positioned on or adjacent roughly the same plane as the inwardlyextending walls 1036 and central boss 1042 of base component 1040. Eachmain body 1012 is positioned between a pair of cam walls 1024 and awedge member 1008 is positioned adjacent each main body 1012.

As shown in FIGS. 10D and 10E, in operation of reel assembly 1000 thelock components 1010, and specifically each main body 1012, pivot withinthe upper housing 1030 and between the cam wall 1024 to engage the innersurface 1033 or inwardly extending walls 1036 and thereby drive spool1032 or lock the reel assembly 1000 to prevent backwinding of the spool1032 and lace. As shown in FIG. 10D, to drive the spool 1032 and tightenor tension the lace, the knob 1002 is rotated by a user in thetightening direction. Rotation of the knob 1002 in this direction causesthe wedge members 1008 to contact the main body 1012, which causes theradius surfaces 1015 a-b to pivot within upper housing 1030 (e.g.,clockwise) until an outer radius surface 1015 a contacts inner housing1033. Contact between the outer radius surface 1015 a and inner housing1033 locks the upper housing 1030 with the knob 1002 and causes theupper housing 1030 to rotate with the knob 1002, which in turn drivesthe spool 1032 and winds lace about the spool 1032. As shown in FIG.10D, an inner radius surface 1015 b does not contact central boss 1042and thus, the upper housing 1030 and spool 1032 are able to rotate aboutcentral boss 1042 and base component 1040. In another embodiment, theinner radius surface 1015 b may contact central boss 1042, but theradius of surface 1015 b may allow the surface 1015 b to slide along thesurface of central boss 1042 without binding or locking the upperhousing 1030 and spool 1032. Although not shown, in many embodiments,the base component 1040 includes axially upward extending walls thatfunction to house the spool 1032 and any lace wound thereon.

As shown in FIG. 10E, as the knob 1002 is released or rotated in theloosening direction, the main body 1012 pivots in an opposite directionwithin the upper housing 1030 (e.g., counterclockwise) until the camsurfaces 1013 a-b contact and are pinched between the inwardly extendingwalls 1036 and the central boss 1042 of base component 1040.Specifically, outer cam surfaces 1013 a contact the inwardly extendingwalls 1036 while inner cam surfaces 1013 b contact the central boss1042. With the cam surfaces 1013 a-b pinched between the inwardlyextending walls 1036 and central boss 1042, the reel assembly 1000 islocked about base component 1040, which is fixedly coupled with the shoeor other apparel. As described briefly above, the spring component 1004may be used to bias or pivot the main bodies 1012 toward the lockedconfiguration shown in FIG. 10E. Further, tension on the lace causes thespool 1032 to drive rotation of the upper housing 1030 in the looseningdirection, which causes the cam surfaces 1013 a-b to pinch between theinwardly extending walls 1036 and central boss 1042.

To place the reel assembly 1000 in an open configuration, the upperhousing 1030 may be rotated in the tightening direction (e.g., bygripping flanged members 1034), which causes the inwardly extendingwalls 1036 to rotate the main bodies 1012 into a disengaged position.For example, the inwardly extending walls 1036 may rotate the outerradius surfaces 1015 a out of disengagement with the inner wall 1033without rotating the inner cam surfaces 1013 b into contact with thecentral boss 1042. Simultaneously, the knob 1002 may be rotated in theloosening direction to cause the wedge members 1008 to contact anopposite side of the main bodies 1012 and thereby pinch or holding themain bodies 1012 between the inwardly extending walls 1036 and the wedgemembers 1008 in the fixed, disengaged position. The hanging bosses 1006located on the outer circumferential edge of the knob 1002 may key intorecesses 1037 in the upper housing 1030 by rotating the knob 1002 andupper housing 1030 in opposite directions, which may hold or maintainthe main bodies in the disengaged position without additional userinput. To reengage the main bodies 1012, the knob 1002 and upper housing1030 are rotated in the tightening and loosening direction,respectively, to disengage the hanging bosses 1006 from the recesses1037. Reel assembly 1000 provides a safeguard against accidental openingby requiring rotation of these two components (i.e., knob 1002 and upperhousing 1030) in opposite directions to place the reel assembly 1000 inthe open configuration.

FIGS. 10F and 10G illustrates a slight variation of the assembly of thecomponents of reel assembly 1000. As shown in FIG. 10F, in the drive ortensioning mode of operation, the inwardly extending walls 1036 contactthe outer cam surfaces 1013 a and cause the main bodies 1012, andspecifically the inner cam surfaces 1013 b, to pivot into engagementwith the wedge members 1008. This causes the main bodies 1012 to bepinched between the inwardly extending walls 1036 and wedge members1008, which locks the upper housing 1030 to the knob 1002 and permitsrotation of the upper housing 1030 and spool 1032 via knob 1002. Whenthe knob 1002 is released or counter-rotated, the wedge member 1008cause the main bodies 1012, and specifically the outer radius surfaces1015 a, to pivot into engagement with the inner surface 1033 of upperhousing 1030 while the inner radius surfaces 1015 b pivot into contactwith the central boss 1042 of base component 1040. This pinches the mainbodies 1012 between the inner housing 1033 and central boss 1042 andlocks or fixes the reel assembly components to base component 1040,which is fixedly coupled to the shoe or apparel.

Referring now to FIGS. 11A-E, illustrated is another embodiment of areel assembly 1100 that is relatively quiet in operation. FIGS. 11A and11B illustrate exploded perspective views of reel assembly 1100. Thereel assembly 1100 includes a knob 1102 having a geometric aperture 1104that is used to drive a drive component 1110. Drive component 1110includes a top member having a geometric shape that corresponds to thegeometric aperture 1104 of knob 1102 such that rotation of the knob 1102causes rotation of the drive component 1110. Positioned axially belowthe drive component 1110 is an eccentrically positioned input shaft1114. Stated differently, the input shaft 1114 has an axis that isoffset from an axis of drive component 1110 and knob 1102.

Input shaft 1112 extends axially into an interior region of a lower knob1120 and into engagement with an input aperture 1135 of a cyclodial gearor disc 1130. The cycloidal disc or gear 1130 is positioned within theinterior region of lower knob 1120 and within a rotation controlcomponent 1150. The cycloidal gear 1130 is positioned within therotation control component 1150 so that a pinion gear surface 1133(hereinafter pinion gear 1133) is engaged with an annular gear 1152. Asshown in FIG. 11C, rotation of the knob 1102 causes the input shaft 1114to rotate the pinion gear 1133, via input aperture 1135, within theannular gear 1152 of rotation control component 1150.

The cyclodial gear 1130 also includes a disc 1132 positioned axiallybelow the pinion gear 1133. The disc 1132 includes a plurality ofapertures 1134 within which bosses 1142 of the spool 1140 are inserted.The bosses 1142 slide within the apertures 1134 of the disc 1132 as thepinion gear 1133 moves within the annular gear 1152 of rotation controlcomponent 1150, which transfers a rotational force to spool 1140 anddrives or causes rotation of spool 1140. Spool 1140 includes a channel1144 within which the lace is wound as the reel assembly 1100 isoperated. To prevent counter-rotation of the spool 1140 (i.e., rotationin the loosening direction), the rotation control component 1150 iscoupled with a housing 1160 as described above. Specifically,cantilevered arms 1162 of the housing 1160 are configured to contact andengage with stop components 1154 of the rotation control component 1150.The housing 1160 is in turn fixedly coupled with a base member 1170,such as by positioning axially extending legs 1164 of the housing 1160within mounting aperture 1172 of the base member 1170. The base member1170 includes a flange 1174 that allows the base member to be coupledwith an article or shoe.

As shown in FIG. 11E, to loosen the lace, the lower knob 1120 is rotatedin the second or loosening direction via grip members 1124, which causesa cam surface 1122 of the lower knob 1120 to engage a distal end of thecantilevered arms 1162 and move the arms 1162 radially outward todisengage the arms 1162 and the stop components 1154 as shown. Thisallows the rotation control component 1150, spool 1140, cyclodial gear1130, and knob 1102 to rotate relative to the housing 1160 and basemember 1170, which unwinds lace from the channel 1144 of spool 1140. Thecycloidal gear 1130 configuration may provide approximately a 4:1 gearratio, although other gear ratios may be achieved as desired.

FIG. 11C illustrates one of the apertures 1134 of disc 1132 (i.e., theshaded aperture) driving one of the bosses 1142 (i.e., the shaded boss)of spool 1140 as the pinion gear 1133 rotates within the annular gear1152. The spool 1140 rotates in a direction opposite that of the piniongear 1133. FIG. 11D illustrates a cross section view of the assembledcomponents of reel assembly 1100.

Referring now to FIGS. 12A-D, illustrated is another embodiment of areel assembly 1200 that is relatively quiet in operation and thatprovide safeguards against accidental opening. FIGS. 12A and 12Billustrate exploded perspective views of the components of reel assembly1200. Reel assembly 1200 includes an upper knob 1202 and a lower knob1210 that may be rotated by a user to tension and/or loosen lace, and/orlock the reel assembly 1200 in an open configuration. Upper knob 1202includes a plurality of shafts 1204 that are inserted within rectangularapertures 1216 of the lower knob 1210. Lower knob 1210 includes a pairof cams 1212 that each have an aperture 1214 within which bosses 1252 ofspool 1250 are inserted.

Reel assembly 1200 includes a brake shoe 1220 having a pair ofcircumferentially extending arms 1222 that are coupled together viaspring members 1226. The cams 1212 of the lower knob 1210 are positionedwithin an interior region of each circumferentially extending arm 1222.The brake shoe 1220 is in turn inserted within a hub 1230 that is inturn positioned within housing 1240. As shown in FIG. 12C, as the lowerknob 1210 is rotated in a tightening or tensioning direction, aloadbearing surface of the cams 1212 is positioned within a notch 1224of the circumferentially extending arms 1222. The profile of the cams1212 matches the inner surface of the circumferentially extending arms1222 such that rotation of the lower knob 1210 in the tensioningdirection maintains the loadbearing surface of the cams 1212 within thenotch 1224 of arms 1222. The rotational force of the lower knob 1210 istransferred to the spool 1250 via contact between the bosses 1252 andaperture 1214.

As shown in FIG. 12D, as the lower knob 1210 is released and/or rotatedin the loosening direction, the loadbearing surface of the cams 1212displaces from the notch 1224 of arms 1222 and presses against an innersurface of the arms 1222. This causes the outer surface of the arms 1222to frictionally engage with hub 1230, which prevents or arrestsrotational motion of the spool 1250 and other components of reelassembly 1200. Continued rotation of the lower knob 1210 and/or spool1250 in the loosening direction increases the frictional engagement ofthe outer surface of the arms 1222 with the hub 1230. The spring members1226 of brake shoe 1220 bias the arms 1222 axially inward such thatsubsequent rotation of the lower knob 1210 in the tightening ortensioning direction causes the loadbearing surface of cams 1212 tore-position within the notches 1224 and causes the arms 1222 to deflectaxially inward and out of frictional engagement with hub 1230.

To lock the reel assembly 1200 in the open configuration, the lower knob1210 is rotated in the tightening direction while the upper knob 1202 issimultaneously rotated in the loosening direction (i.e. the oppositedirection). This action causes the shafts 1204 of upper knob 1202 toslide up a ramp portion 1228 of the arms 1222, which presses the arms1222 radially inward and out of frictional engagement with hub 1230. Theshafts 1204 may be locked about the brake shoe 1220 to maintain the arms1222 in a disengaged configuration from hub 1230 and thereby allow thelace tension to be fully released. Accordingly, reel assembly 1200provides a safeguard against accidental opening by requiring rotation ofthe lower knob 1210 and upper knob 1202 in opposite directions to fullyloosen the lace.

Referring now to FIGS. 13A-F, illustrated is another embodiment of areel assembly 1300 that is relatively quiet in operation and thatprovide safeguards against accidental opening. FIGS. 13A and 13Billustrate an exploded perspective views of reel assembly 1300. Asshown, reel assembly 1300 includes an upper knob 1302 and a lower knob1310. Upper knob 1302 includes a pair of bosses 1304 that extend axiallydownward and that are used to drive or cause rotation of spool 1340.Lower disc 1310 includes a geometric aperture having a cam or rampedsurface 1312 and notch 1314 that functions to lock the reel assembly1300 in open configuration to allow the lace to be fully loosened.

Reel assembly 1300 also includes a gear mechanism 1320 that is used tolock the reel assembly 1300 in position to prevent counter rotation ofthe spool 1340, or stated differently, to prevent rotation of the spool1340 in the loosening direction. The gear mechanism 1320 includes a pairof pivoting arms 1324 having an aperture at a proximal end that coupleswith a boss 1346 of spool 1340 and a pin at a distal end that isinserted within an aperture of one of the gears 1322 of gear mechanism1320 (i.e., floating gear 1322 b). The gears 1322 gear mechanism 1320are positioned within a housing 1330 so as to contact teeth 1332 ofhousing 1330. As described in more detail below, the gears 1322 of gearmechanism 1320 include a floating gear 1322 b and a fixed gear 1322 a.Spool 1340 includes a central protrusion 1344 having a pair of arcuatesurfaces about which the floating gears of gear mechanism 1320 rest asthe reel assembly 1300 is being operated to tension or tighten lace.Spool 1340 also includes a body or channel 1342 within which or aboutwhich lace is wound during operation of reel assembly 1300.

FIG. 13C shows an assembly of the components of reel assembly 1300 asthe reel assembly 1300 is being operated to tension or tighten lace. Asillustrated, as the upper knob 1302 is rotated in a tighteningdirection, the pair of bosses 1304 contact and press against a rearsurface of central protrusion 1344 to drive spool 1340. As the bosses1304 drive central protrusion 1344 and spool 1340, a floating gear 1322b of gear mechanism 1320 rests against the arcuate surface of centralprotrusion 1344. Interaction between the teeth of floating gear 1322 band a fixed gear 1322 a of gear mechanism 1320 causes the floating gear1322 b to pivot via arm 1324 into contact with the arcuate surface ofcentral protrusion 1344. Rotation of the fixed gear 1322 a is caused viaan interaction between the teeth of fixed gear 1322 a and the teeth 1332of housing 1330. In this configuration, the upper knob 1302 may berotated as desired to tension the lace.

FIG. 13D shows an assembly of the components of reel assembly 1300 afterthe upper knob 1302 is released, or as the upper knob 1302 is rotated inthe loosening direction. As illustrated, rotating the upper knob 1302 inthe loosening direction causes the floating gear 1322 b to pivot out ofengagement or contact with the arcuate surface of central protrusion1344 and into engagement with the teeth 1332 of housing 1330. Rotationof the fixed gear 1322 a in a direction opposite that of the tighteningdirection and an interaction between the teeth of floating gear 1322 band fixed gear 1322 a causes the floating gear 1322 b to pivot, via arm1324, out of contact with the arcuate surface of central protrusion 1344and into engagement with the teeth 1332 of housing 1330. As describedabove, rotation of the fixed gear 1322 a is caused via the interactionbetween the fixed gear 1322 a and the teeth 1332 of housing 1330. Sincethe fixed gear 1322 a and the floating gear 1322 b rotate in oppositedirections, engagement of the fixed gear 1322 a and the floating gear1322 b with the teeth 1332 of housing 1330 causes the gears, 1322 a and1322 b, to bind with the teeth 1332 of housing 1330 and thereby preventfurther rotation of the upper knob 1302 and spool 1340. The abovedescribed gear binding process also occurs as the upper knob 1302 isreleased and lace tension drives or causes rotation of the spool 1340 inthe loosening direction. In this manner, the reel assembly 1300 islocked to prevent further loosening of the lace.

As briefly described above, the lower knob 1310 may be operated to lockand unlock the reel assembly 1300 from an open configuration in whichthe lace tension may be fully released. FIG. 13E illustrates the lowerknob 1310 in an unlocked configuration in which the upper knob 1302 isrotatable to tension lace and in which the reel assembly 1300 islockable by binding of the gear mechanism 1320. As shown in FIG. 13E,the lower knob 1310 is rotated so that an axially upward extending pin1326 of arm 1324 is positioned away from a notch 1314 of the geometricaperture of lower knob 1310. With the pin 1326 positioned away fromnotch 1314, the floating gear 1322 b is able to pivot into and out ofengagement with the arcuate surface of central protrusion 1344 asdescribed above to allow tensioning and locking of the reel assembly1300.

As shown in FIG. 13F, the lower knob 1310 may be rotated relative togear mechanism 1320 so that the pin 1326 of arm 1324 slides along thecam or ramped surface 1312 of the geometric aperture and into notch1314. With the pin 1326 positioned within the notch 1314, the floatinggear 1322 b is prevented from pivoting out of engagement with thearcuate surface of central protrusion 1344 as the upper knob 1302 isreleased or rotated in the loosening direction. In this configuration,the floating gear 1322 b is unable to engage with the teeth 1332 ofhousing 1330 and, therefore, the gear mechanism 1320 is unable to bindand lock the spool 1340 and reel assembly 1300 as described above. Inthis configuration, the lace tension may be fully released. The lowerknob 1310 may be rotated in an opposite direction to slide the pin 1326away from notch 1314 and thereby “unlock” the reel assembly 1300.

To lock the reel assembly 1300 with lower knob 1310, lower knob 1310 istypically rotated in a direction opposite that of upper knob 1302. Forexample, upper knob 1302 is typically rotated in the tighteningdirection while lower knob 1310 is rotated in the loosening direction.Accordingly, reel assembly 1300 provides a safeguard against accidentalopening by requiring rotation of the lower knob 1310 and upper knob 1302in opposite directions to fully loosen the lace.

Referring now to FIGS. 14A and 14B, illustrated is a mechanism 1400 forreleasably attaching a component to an article, such as a shoe. Themechanism 1400 includes a base member 1402 that is attachable to anarticle. The base member 1402 includes a flange 1404 that radiallyextends from a bottom end of the base member 1402 and around an entireouter periphery of the base member 1402, or around a portion thereof.The base member 1402 also includes an inner cavity or aperture 1406within which a bottom end of the component 1430 (e.g., a reel assemblyhousing) can be inserted. A channel 1408 is formed or disposed withinthe inner cavity or aperture 1406 of base member 1402 and a springcomponent 1410 is positioned within the channel 1408. The springcomponent 1410 is configured to radially deflect about a bottom end ofthe component 1430 as the component is inserted within the inner cavityor aperture 1406. Specifically, the spring component 1410 deflectsradially outward as the bottom end of the component 1430 is insertedwithin the inner cavity or aperture 1406 and then the spring component1410 springs or flexes back into position to lock the bottom end of thecomponent 1430 within the inner cavity or aperture 1406 of the basemember 1402 as shown in the cross section view of FIG. 14B. The springcomponent 1410 allows the bottom end of the component 1430 to be removedfrom the inner cavity or aperture 1406 by radially flexing outward asthe component 1430 is pulled axially upward. Accordingly, the springcomponent 1410 allows the component 1430 to be releasably coupled withthe base member 1402.

In some embodiments, the channel 1408 of the inner cavity or aperture1406 is an annular channel within which the spring component 1410radially deflects as the bottom end of the component 1430 is insertedwithin the inner cavity or aperture 1406. In such embodiments, thespring component 1410 may be a split ring spring having an innerdiameter that widens upon radial deflection. In some embodiments, thewidening of the inner diameter of the split ring spring 1410 may beconstrained by the annular channel 1408 of the inner cavity or aperture1406. In such embodiments, an outer diameter D of the bottom end of thecomponent 1430 may be greater than a widest inner diameter W of thesplit ring spring 1410 allowed by the annular channel 1408, which maycause the base member 1402 or the bottom end of the component 1430 toflex radially outward to enable insertion of the bottom end of thecomponent 1430 within the base member's inner cavity or aperture 1406.Specifically, an annular protrusion 1407 of the base member 1402 mayelastically flex or deflect as the enlarged bottom end of the component1430 is inserted within the base member's inner cavity or aperture 1406.Because the base member 1402 (e.g., annular protrusion 1407) and/or thebottom end of the component 1430 flexes during insertion of thecomponent 1430 within the inner cavity or aperture 1406, the coupling ofthe two components is greatly enhanced and thereby requires asignificantly greater force to uncouple said components. As such, thecomponent 1430 may experience large forces from external objects withoutuncoupling from the base member 1402.

In some embodiments, the bottom end of the component 1430 includes anannular channel 1432 within which the spring component 1410 ispositioned. In other embodiments, the bottom end of the component 1430includes a plurality of lock tabs or radially extending members aboutwhich the spring component 1410 flexes to lock the bottom end of thecomponent 1430 within the inner cavity or aperture 1406. In someembodiments, the spring component 1410 may be a horseshoe spring, aclover spring, a closed loop spring, and the like, rather than a splitring spring.

According to one embodiment, a method for releasably attaching acomponent to an article includes providing a base member that includes:an inner cavity or aperture, a channel disposed within the inner cavityor aperture, and a spring component positioned within the channel. Themethod also includes attaching the base member with the article andinserting a bottom end of the component within the inner cavity oraperture so that the spring component radially deflects about thecomponent's bottom end and thereby locks the bottom end of the componentwithin the inner cavity or aperture of the base member. In someembodiments, attaching the base member with the article includescoupling a flange of the base member with the article.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elementshave not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent invention. Accordingly, the above description should not betaken as limiting the scope of the invention.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lowerlimits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller rangebetween any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and anyother stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed.The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently beincluded or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neitheror both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassedwithin the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in thestated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits,ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are alsoincluded.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”,and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes aplurality of such processes and reference to “the device” includesreference to one or more devices and equivalents thereof known to thoseskilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and“includes” when used in this specification and in the following claimsare intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers,components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or additionof one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, orgroups.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reel for tightening an article comprising: abase member that is coupleable with the article; a housing positionedatop the base member and removeably coupleable therewith, the housinghaving an interior region; a spool positioned within the interior regionof the housing and rotatable relative thereto, the spool having acentral post about which a tension member is wound; a knob member thatis coupled with the spool and configured to cause the spool to rotatewithin the interior region of the housing in a first direction to windthe tension member about the spool's central post; and a load holdingmechanism coupled with the spool and the housing, the load holdingmechanism comprising a first friction element and a second frictionelement that are frictionally engageable to prevent rotation of thespool in a second direction opposite the first direction to preventunwinding of the tension member from the spool's central post, wherein:rotation of the knob member in the first direction reduces thefrictional engagement of the first friction element and the secondfriction element to enable rotation of the spool in the first direction,and tension in the tension member biases the spool toward rotation inthe second direction which increases the frictional engagement of thefirst friction element and the second friction element.